Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Hirakata

For one person, living is cheaper in Hirakata: $1,220 a month against $3,493 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Hirakata
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Hirakata Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,493

/mo nomad

Hirakata

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Hirakata

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Singapore and in Hirakata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,493 in Singapore versus $1,220 in Hirakata.

Singapore $3,493
Hirakata $1,220

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,174 in Singapore versus $1,929 in Hirakata.

Singapore $5,174
Hirakata $1,929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,855 in Singapore versus $2,638 in Hirakata.

Singapore $6,855
Hirakata $2,638

Living in Singapore is roughly 186% more expensive than in Hirakata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 158% above, Hirakata is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.74 SGD 15.02

$8.59 ¥1,356

36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SGD 95.1

$31.38 ¥4,958

136.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.21

$4.97 ¥786

76.26%

Cappuccino

$5.32 SGD 6.80

$2.90 ¥458

83.45%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SGD 2.42

$1.29 ¥204

46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SGD 1.55

$0.72 ¥114

68.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SGD 10.82

$3.07 ¥486

175.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 SGD 12.57

$3.87 ¥611

154.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 SGD 3.72

$1.44 ¥228

102.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SGD 3.22

$1.31 ¥206

92.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$5.49 ¥867

-47.91%

Eggs

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.05 ¥324

77.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.88 SGD 26.71

$9.33 ¥1,474

123.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 SGD 12.69

$6.93 ¥1,095

43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.77 SGD 32.98

$17.25 ¥2,725

49.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 SGD 6.02

$3.39 ¥536

38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 SGD 3.94

$1.94 ¥307

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 SGD 6.06

$3.10 ¥489

52.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 SGD 2.80

$4.13 ¥652

-46.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$4.03 ¥637

-36.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 SGD 2.97

$3.82 ¥603

-39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SGD 2.39

$1.36 ¥216

36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SGD 1.78

$0.88 ¥138

57.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 SGD 17.66

$3.94 ¥623

250.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.29 SGD 29.81

$9.69 ¥1,531

140.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 SGD 6.10

$2.61 ¥412

82.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 SGD 6.00

$3.13 ¥495

49.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$1.49 ¥236

7.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 SGD 123

$52.9 ¥8,365

81.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 SGD 4.61

$3.24 ¥512

11.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 SGD 1.02

$3.23 ¥510

-75.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 SGD 21.28

$15.59 ¥2,462

6.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 SGD 3.28

$1.06 ¥168

141.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$157.0K SGD 200.8K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

614.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$149.8K SGD 191.7K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

877.06%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$172 SGD 220

$114 ¥18.1K

50.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.13 SGD 15.53

$23.50 ¥3,713

-48.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.02 SGD 35.86

$30.41 ¥4,805

-7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$52.5 ¥8,291

105.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.24 SGD 15.67

$6.47 ¥1,022

89.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 SGD 15.39

$11.43 ¥1,806

5.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,473 SGD 1,885

$513 ¥81.1K

187.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K SGD 36.8K

$13.0K ¥2.1M

120.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 SGD 99.9

$48.40 ¥7,646

61.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 SGD 65.1

$30.44 ¥4,810

67.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 SGD 139

$61.5 ¥9,710

76.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SGD 158

$90.8 ¥14.3K

35.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,917 SGD 3,733

$525 ¥83.0K

455.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 SGD 2,765

$336 ¥53.1K

543.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,769 SGD 7,383

$1,121 ¥177.1K

414.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,849 SGD 4,925

$729 ¥115.2K

428.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.2K SGD 29.7K

$4,201 ¥663.7K

451.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K SGD 21.7K

$1,730 ¥273.3K

878.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,547 SGD 5,818

$1,904 ¥300.9K

138.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

2.02

20.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Singapore: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 61.8%

Hirakata

$336 27.5% 84.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Hirakata

$308 25.3% 32.7% $150

Eating Out

Singapore

$258 7.4%

Hirakata

$150 12.3% 42.1% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$212 6.1%

Hirakata

$168 13.8% 20.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$162 4.7%

Hirakata

$104 8.5% 35.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$132 3.8%

Hirakata

$75 6.2% 43% $57

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Hirakata

$78 6.4% 28.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,917 in Singapore and $525 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 139% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Singapore vs $31.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $308 per month, with Hirakata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇯🇵 Hirakata

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

1 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

402,495

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

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Singapore Hirakata 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Singapore
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Singapore vs Hirakata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore and Hirakata differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($3,493 vs $1,220 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Singapore, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,917 in Singapore versus $525 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hirakata runs roughly 81% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,473 in Singapore versus $513 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,220 in Hirakata versus $3,493 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hirakata but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Hirakata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Hirakata are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hirakata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.